@@Gamerman2077 Well I fell a bit better with them being owned by Microsoft now. Gives them much deeper pockets for the budget which means the possibility to spend more time polishing the game. We'll see though. Talking about Elder Scrolls obviously.
Without Digital Foundry to explain everything, I think a lot of these "impossible Switch ports" like Doom Eternal, The Witcher 3, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, etc. would be underappreciated because people wouldn't understand how technologically amazing they are. So thanks DF once again for giving a great analysis on these impressive ports 👍
Absolutely. That's why it was so important to have this analysis. Other RU-vid channel like VG tech, don't explain nothing, appart giving some framerate values.
@@NCozy Doom and the Witcher 3 are definitely the more impressive ones but if you watch DF's anaylsis on the Switch version of Ori it's actually really impressive how they got it to run so well because the game is more demanding than it looks.
Yes!! It amazes me how many people don’t stop and consider that these are PORTABLE versions of original console experiences. On previous generations of handhelds these games would’ve been completely reworked into radically different experiences.
Battlefront was one of my best memories on psp... Remember we played multiplayer with only one UMD we switched during loading screen ! Good old days...
@Soviet Concrete Not really all they said was "I caught that too haha" you're the one over here with statements like "low iq clowns" like you're somehow better than people who didn't get the joke.
I'm sure that login screen may be a problem if and when the servers for Nintendo Switch Online service are discontinued or if Bethesda decides to get rid of Bethesda accounts for whatever reason. Hopefully this is something that gets patched much like they did with the ports of Doom (1993) which initially required you to login.
@@GenerationZ313 honestly its not a big deal. Just turning on airplane mode fixes it. And if switch servers go down I dont see any reason to not keep airplane mode on when it helps battery life etc. You can leave the Bluetooth turned on too.
@@GenerationZ313 Bethesda accounts will have to be merged with Microsoft accounts by 2023 probably due to their acquisition. Just like how everyone's minecraft accounts are being merged as we speak
Fyi, most things requiring online service do not connect via Nintendo’s paid service. Only if explicitly mentioned is it required (usually for first-party games only).
IdTech is legendary. ID used to make the older IdTech versions open source, not anymore now that Carmack is chained up in Mark Zuckerberg's dungeon. Just imagine if they still did make the older engines open source. Imagine the mods.
The best corridor shooter engine for sure. Not sure how it handles big open detailed areas. Dishonored 2 gives some preview of that but even there, map is not that huge.
Agreed. I remember when they were using MEGA TEXTURES but decided to cut them because they were such a grain on performance. IDTech 6 and 7 have been brilliant.
@@reav3rtm That's the key to keeping a game running well on a console with a weak CPU, you have to avoid big open areas with a ton of foliage and NPCs. Doom 2016 and Eternal run extremely well on pretty much any modern PC because of this. It's also part of the reason ARK runs horribly on the Switch even though the original looks worse than both the newer Doom games. Look at how Ubisoft games tend to HAMMER the CPU, they're usually open world and has open areas with foliage/architecture + a bunch of NPCs. It's a recipe for "cinematic" sub 30 fps framerates.
To be fair, the developers were probably given a really strict deadline and budget. The devs porting ark over actually wanted to improve the switch version, but studio wildcard literally ignored their requests.
@@boshygamer32 mid range laptops are not only more expensive, but 9/10 times will not run with the same consistency. And theres no way to hold your laptop like a portable game console. Switch was the greatest investment into entertainment ive made
The lower resolution really isnt noticable for folks like me who play on Switch Lite, which has no TV-docking capability. On the Lite’s 5.5” screen, this game looks absolutely stunning.
Guys, hows the overall performance in portable mode? I only play handheld. This will be my february game. So many hours in mh rise demo, this maybe my last game in a while when mh rise drops. Doom eternal looks super fun.
@@gabbytoyreview7359 I've never even noticed any issues at all tbh. John said it was mostly 30 with some frame pacing spikes but I never even noticed that. Also I've played it on nightmare and did every level (including master levels) and still had zero issues
When you showed doom 2016 on switch, you can immediately tell it retained the post-processing effects, I think this is the most glaring difference in Eternal's port besides the resolution
Yeah DE looks like a PS2 game on Switch compared to DooM on switch. But like John said the performance is mainly rock solid, which is definitely needed.
For those of us who don't like post processing effects, this is good news. Shame we can't get a version of Doom and Wolfenstein 2 that makes the same decision in favor of resolution and framerate.
@@Loundsify You don't need to like the port, or the fact that it is quite a graphical downgrade, but comparing this to anything from the ps2 era visually, it will result in people not taking you seriously or your arguments. Even if you go back to the PS3/X360 era you will see how simple those games are in polygon geometry and texture complexity.
@@franciscor390 true, whenever I see someone saying like : oh this looks like ps2" I instantly ignore them and think lf them as idiots because it sounds like they r just bashing on the game because they think they made an original joke no one ever heard before. And bashing a mobile game/port for graphics is so 2010.
This is just an impossible work done by panic button, really, I cannot believe it's running on a mobile chip, I just wanted Nintendo to release a pro switch so we can see what this port can achieve...
@@kingbradley8058 my laptop couldn’t even go pass the beginning of the game after character creation screen, the game just crashed. They seriously need to optimise the game. Maybe panic button could help them 😂
@@diddykong7354 Yeah, that's why i find your Comparison so dumb. I want to play on a handheld on the go without being pinned down to a online service, and not be bound on a shity online-only streaming bs. For people who like that stuff all power to you, but stop this non-sense suggestions...
@@diddykong7354 geforce now is cool but I've found the main issue with it is it sort of defeats the purpose of a handheld. You need a strong and stable internet connection for geforce now, which I can only get in my house, at that point I might as well just be sat infront of my high end PC. That might change when 5G becomes more commonplace but for now, it doesn't work for me, and I'm sure it doesn't work for most people for the same reasons.
honestly even with my PC that can handle the game on high I had a lovely time revisiting the game with this port and I didnt realize just how smart the optimizations were until this video put it up against Doom 2016 and Wolfenstein 2
@@dnegel9546 Did you try putting it at low settings? It was like that before for me, but then I scaled everything down as low as possible to get the results that I said earlier.
I mainly play on PC, but I have my Switch for Portablity. And when I played doom eternal i couldn't have been more impressed. I was simply having just as much fun as i was on PC!
Yeah the Bethesda account thing is crap. Especially when you're in the middle of playing and the game pauses to tell you that you got logged out because Bethesda's servers are crap. I don't care, I don't even want to be logged in in the first place, stop pausing my game.
Oh man I'm playing Hitman 2 on PS4 and it does that exact same shit like seriously fuck you IO Interactive I don't want to log into your shit ass servers to play a SINGLE PLAYER GAME.
It also happens on PC. If you look at some speedruns of the game, namely from Zero Master, the game will sometimes automatically pause in the middle of a speedrun to tell you that the game has lost its connection with Bethesda's servers. Of course, the game doesn't know if you're speedrunning it, but it's still really fucking annoying and can be a big time loss.
@@nickmotsarsky4382 “Pretentious.” Fuck off. How? Because he’s knowledgeable? He actually breaks down each setting in games visual options for our benefit. How is that “Pretentious?”
@@uhhTabby A lot of developers take motion blur too far, and it becomes a detriment. I like motion blur when it is applied to fast moving objects on screen, but I don't like motion blur that kicks in when you move the camera, because that just feels bad.
@@KarmG-fo4xr It’s quite normal for AAA studios to bring in porting studios to help out with development. Bethesda “handed off” a few games to Panic Button, much better than CRUNCHING 1 team to be responsible for developing and testing like 9 versions of an ambitious game. EA, Activision, Ubi, 2k, and Square do it all of the time.
Great video! I have a theory that the reason the post processing was cut (Depth of Field and Motion Blur) is because the game is using a temporal reconstruction method much like the 2 previous Wolfenstein ports and that could explain why the performance is excellent in general (and because IDTech 7 is a masterpiece) but the objects in motion have a double edge look to it (best seen on the gun models). Either way, panic button are wizards for what they managed to pull off.
Gotta give props to the Id Tech, my previous PC is almost 10 years old at this point (i3 6100, 16GB DDR3, GTX 960) and by lowering a few graphics settings I could get steady 60 FPS at 1080p. Amazing optimization.
Great analysis!! Honestly, I think the game still looks really nice, even after the comparisons to the other platforms. The fact that these guys put out such a great port during a pandemic is especially impressive.
Just got this on Switch for $20. In docked mode, the frame rate is a solid 30fps. Textures are a bit blurry, but this thing runs extremely well for being on Switch. Even got a 8bitdo pro 2 bluetooth controller to play it with paddles. Got it beat in Nightmare, now working on UV....which is my preferred difficulty on consoles for a causal playthrough.
Played through it on switch and might be my favorite FPS of all time. 30fps feels amazing and for me there wasn’t a stutter at all. Best switch port by a mile IMO. Panic button should be purchased by Nintendo and just made their in house porting team.
Can we please give the devs a thumbs up. Even if it does not look as good as a console version, im impressed that you can get this out of a Switch at all.(i grew up with the first Game Boy) And if you play it mobile on that small screen... i mean c'mon no one is playing the game with the screen 2 centimeters away to count pixels.
That's why I am watching on my phone to judge the quality. Interestingly the lack of post processing effects is the most noticeable even on a small screen but worth it for the stable performance.
@@weaverquest ye that what i was refering to. the dpi on something like a 7 inch screen is WAY higher. 720p on a phone / switch and a pc monitor are 2 completely different things
This is really amazing port. These Switch ports remind me of PSP ports like Prince of Persia and Tomb Raider. It was really interesting to play those games on system like PSP.
@@TheRealJochen Yeah, that's right. Like, those games didn't have really good textures but they were running at PSP's native resolution which make them look sharp. I know PSP resolution is just 480x272 but I rather have lower native resolution and game running at it than higher native resolution and game using dynamic or lower resolution. They look so blurry this way. I hope there will be implemented some kind of upscaling, sharpening or DLSS in next Switch or who knows what's coming.
Yes, revelations (warrior within port) was brilliant. Also the fact they managed to port burnout 3 as burnout legends was brilliant and GTA LSC/VCS were just like their PS2 counter parts.
I remember thinking Tony hawk on the Game boy advance was the epitomy of handheld graphics. It's amazing how far we have come , to be able to play modern day console games on a handheld is just insane to me.
Yesss, this is exactly what I've been thinking! Dying Light could totally have run on the PS3. Although there's probably no one who remembers how to port to that console so it would probably look even worse
We live in a world... Imagine a video, back in 2001, reviewing a portable versión of , lets say, Metal Gear Solid 2. This is how massive the Switch is. Its a portable console running nowadays games. Of course its going to be worst compared to home consoles. How funny would be the other way around Its a piece of art technologically speaking
Exactly!! It’s all about perspective when it comes to the switch. It’s so cool I can take this home console with me to work and play DOOM Eternal ON MY LUNCH BREAK. 4K max settings is beautiful, but at the end of the day I care about ripping and tearing and the Switch port doesn’t even look bad, it just doesn’t look as good as the other versions.
That is really impressive. The compromises make sense, but you're right that the post-fx would've been nice. I was literally wondering about what they could do should there be a "Switch Pro" just before you said the exact same thing! 😁
I think it would have been worth mentioning that it appears the Switch version has removed most of not nearly all shadowmaps for in-game rendering. Shadowmaps are basically dynamic lightmaps, useful for adding depth to any mobile objects in a scene (such as the player weapon and enemies). When you have shadows draping over objects it goes a long way toward implying realism. I saw almost none of that here which hurts the depth a bit, but overall it's an impressive effort.
2:27 I would argue otherwise. Graphically and performance-wise, yes, it is the most inferior, but I'd say that gyro aiming makes it honestly the best console version in terms of controls. Gyro allows for an almost exact replica of the precision afforded by a mouse, and that's definitely necessary for the higher difficulties - especially demons' weak points. I agree with the lamentation of the loss of motion blur, especially because of how much it can help hide a lot of the cutbacks, as seen in 2016. I sincerely hope that we get a Witcher III esque update that allows us to alter the graphics settings with similar freedom to PC. I also hope that we might regain certain postprocessing effects if and when an upgraded Switch finally arrives. I feel like this game could be one of the big games for Nintendo to market how clear of an upgrade it will be. EDIT: There is an absolutely massive performance drop if you dash into the holographic projection of the globe in the Fortress of Doom. I guess that shows why they disabled most instances of motion blur, as even just the whole screen blur from the dash can create a performance dip in more taxing areas.
Was thinking this as well. Attempted playing through game pass and xcloud when it was added, but playing with sticks when you're so used to gyro or mouse/keyboard is hell
@@mandarin6662 Yeah, it's quite stupid that PS4 doesn't get it, and it's 100% because Microsoft are still using 15 year old technology in their controllers. Although, it's probably also because the Gyro Aiming was programmed by Panic Button themselves, and so it was simply never concieved for the PS4 version.
@@mandarin6662 Again, that was done by Panic Button. I think developers don't do it for non-Switch games because they both don't realise how game-changing of a feature it is, and also they don't want to invest money in something that will go unused in the Xbox version. The blame is mainly Microsoft's. It's because of their pig headedness about controllers that Xbox systems don't suport motion, and so companies see it as a niche feature. If more games begin to include it in PS5 versions, then Xbox users will begin to question why they don't have it, and begin to voice their complaints towards Microsoft. Honestly, that's the only way I can see it becoming the norm for PS5 versions of multi-platform games.
Lest we forget that this game is not just on the vanilla switch, but also on the switch lite. This game runs on a device that has a screen as big as some phones, that's fucking amazing. It blows my mind that it can even do that.
I spent many an hour playing Doom (2016) on my Switch. Hell, it was the first game I bought for the system! And I did notice the frame rate dips. I was incredibly surprised how I didn't notice any in Eternal. Yeah, it is technically the worst version of the game, but it still plays excellently and you can meathook while taking a dump, so this is a major win
Yeah but hes clearing going out of his way to say it that way. He literally slows down his speech to blur out wolfenschine. I dont know who hes trying to impress
Wolfenstein 2 did actually get a 1.2 patch that improved performance to the point of eliminating most of the major drops that occured especially in handheld. So New Orleans doesn't drop as much as it used to. I would say it's an almost locked experience now like Eternal is here. Really goes to show how much Panic Button has learned and improved over the years with the Switch.
Some very nice analysis here John, been playing this since release and I've been consistently impressed. The frame rate in particular has been a massive improvement over doom 2016 and it makes all the difference! I'm surprised you didn't make any mention of the cube map reflections which also seem to be a huge step up from doom 2016. In the absence of screen space reflections the cube maps here seem to be very accurate to the reflected scene in most cases, just another point that impressed me throughout! It would have been interesting to know whether you thought they were a bespoke implementation, or whether they were simply a fallback built in to the engine in case of the screen space implementation being disabled. Looking forward to more switch analysis from you guys in 2021 😊
Awesome port !!! When compared side to side with a high performance platform you will see the difference immediately. However if you pick up Doom eternal for the first time you will be amazed at the graphics. The gameplay is still pretty much intact.
The Switch port of 16 is a cool novelty and a decent way to play, if not ideal. The Switch port of Eternal is a goddamn miracle, it's absolutely insane that this game is able to run on an intentionally underpowered system powered by a phone SoC that was obsolete when it released 6 years ago.
Bought it today bc its finally reduced on switch and have to say I'm impressed. I was a bit worried when I saw the first choppy cutscene, but as you said the gameplay itself is really stable with only a few minor drops here and there. We Switch users are used to this kind of corny resolution and details, but for this small device it does look good. The controlls feel a bit sluggish for now but I guess I have to get used to doomguys new movememt compared to old doom games. I would say : Does it deliver a good Doom Eternal experience on the Go ? Yes it does. 100% I do hope that a Switch Pro will lead to a more upgraded version of DoomE, but its kind of hard to imagine on what optimization they will focus. I kinda doubt the switch pro will be 60fps and HDR, so maybe just a more detailed version when the pro comes ? We will see.
PC owners with keyboard/mouse - wealthy industrialists XSX/PS5 with controller - real estate salesmen Xbone/PS4 with controller - second hand car salesmen Switch - dollar tree employee
PC gamers : if it's not 4k 120fps, I dont want to play it Xbox/PS gamers: I hope its 4k 60fps with a 120 mode or 1440p 60fps minimum. Switch gamers: YaSs, 360p 30FpS CAn'T wAIt tO PlaY iT.
is that some kind of disease? Always find something new to still have a difference? First it's the raw power, then it's the resolution, then it's the volume of the devices or the size of the hard drive and now the input latency is extremely important? No ass has cared about it for decades but now does it matter?
Great detailed coverage, as usual. Thank you! My only disagreement is with your emphasis on intentional blurring--any kind. I tend to dislike both DoF and motion blur, particularly when I can get consistently high frame rates. (I don't need or want motion blur in Doom Eternal running at over 120 fps on a 240Hz G-Sync monitor.)
Sure it's low resolution but why do they apply Vaseline on the screen? it makes it look worse. Give people an option for sharper visuals even if it's jaggy. low res 3d can look decent if it hasn't been scaled poorly and post processed to death. even 640x480 can look sharp, accept jaggies into your life.
@@NeoDeXs cant argue with that statement. but i wouldn't call 9 years rush. gta 5 took like 3 years but rockstar does have more experience than cdprojekt red
@@donjames5761 not 9 years, 2016 it started preproduction and started serious development around the time blood and whine got released, remember those two dlc's that were the size of most AAA games ?
Honestly in motion without a comparison it's hard for me to point out the differences between the console ports. That smooth 30 fps also really helps this port look incredible and I'm a Quake player who loves his 144hz gameplay. Panic Button really outdid themselves.
Thank you for a legit review. You talk calmly You dont have your face on the screen 👍🏻perfect All the other YT celebs are peaking and talking 1000 words a min And take half the screen with their own face 🙄 Rather than reviewing the game.
Seeing developers who actually put the EFFORT into Switch ports and games is really refreshing in a sea of kinda wonky ports. The limited ram on the Switch doesn't really help it but people can still do some incredible stuff like this when effort is put in!
In what part of the video you see 480p or 360p resolution when docked? Why do you invent numbers? Where and when PS3 was able to run a game like this? 720p or less PS3 games usually run at 1080p on Switch with better framerate, better texture and lighting.
@@MothersOfMars Eh, I’m satisfied with it. It’s a budget title, I imagine investing a ton of time and money into re-implementing the old lighting was out of the scope of the project.
@@PieStudios True. Dragon Quest (unfortunately) doesn’t really set the west on fire in terms of sales. Just glad to see mainline DQ make its way to the Xbox tbh.
I’ve been waiting for this video eagerly. Already purchased the game on Switch on release day, just wanted to hear a good technical analysis from y’all !
for me the best switch port so far. just from pure playability its actually pretty much the same experience. looking forward what ever is the next panic button game
Honestly Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal have no right running on the Nintendo Switch at all. The fact that is runs without looking like a broken version of the game it a true credit to those involved.
This is the best example of a: "We'll release this when it's fully polished and ready." We didn't get a low-poly game. We got a great, decent-looking game, that plays like DOOM 2016 on a good PC.
I was surprised that motion blur wasn’t available at launch. It worked great in smoothing the frames in the 2016 port. I even turn pomb on for Eternal when I’m at 60fps on ps4. Hopefully they’ll add it in later
@@playerroku4412 sry man. Usually I detest motion blur as much as the next guy ( especially that ghosting type) but good pomb actually looks great to me
2:27 - "Doom Eternal for the Switch, is the worst way to play Doom Eternal" I can't agree with this statement, I got Doom 2016 on my PS4 and barely played it, then later got it on Switch and I've now 100% completed it. For some, the Switch is the best way to play simply based on the convenience factor alone; being able to play from trains and planes, to anywhere around the house, or even while waiting in a long line. This just isn't possible with any other system, to me the PS4 isn't "the best" way to play because I can only play it while tethered to my desk. The Switch gives me so many more opportunities to get a gaming sesh in and for that I consider it the best way.
I think the DoF blur effect removed for higher resolution and framerate than previous ports is a fair trade for DOOM Eternal Switch, that iq, framerate and res is higher than DOOM 2016(along with higher quality textures here and there) is very impressive for the system 👍 Dream is for the next gen Switch It gets two fully upgraded DOOM games on par with PS4 and then DOOM 3 port
I have it on my switch. I also have it on my PC able to max put settings past 60 fps. This is without a doubt an impossible port that was done successfully. Yes the cutscene is choppy and anything past 15 feet is blurry. But dear god the fact that it's LOCKED AT 30 FPS smoothly it's impressive beyond belief.
